José Ferrer was a Puerto Rican actor and director. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). He was the first person of Latin American descent to win an acting Academy Award.

José was the son of Rafael Ferrer y Otero, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and María Providencia del Carmen Cintrón y Cintrón, from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. His father was a lawyer and writer. His aunt (father’s sister), Monserrate “Monsita” Ferrer Otero, was a pianist and feminist.

José was married to Stella Magee, until his death. He had a daughter with his former wife, acting teacher Uta Hagen, and five children with his former wife, singer and actress Rosemary Clooney, including actors Miguel Ferrer and Rafael Ferrer. His granddaughter is actress Tessa Ferrer.

José’s paternal grandfather was Gabriel Ferrer y Hernández (the son of Andrés Ferrer Rivera and Maria Zenon/Venina/Zenoa Hernandez Lanzo). Gabriel was a doctor, and advocate of Puerto Rican independence from Spain. He was born in San Juan. Andrés was from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. Venina was from the Canary Islands, Spain.

this great man was a true puerto rican,he has been mostly forgotten which is a shame,but he was the first puerto rican oscar winner,i wish all these puerto ricans who claim to be proud would educate themselves about DON JOSE FERRER